


Not So Domestic Bliss

by kijikun, Obstinate Nocturna (ChrisCrossed)



Series: Domestic Bliss and Other Tales [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: M/M, Mech Preg, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:52:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7164068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kijikun/pseuds/kijikun, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrisCrossed/pseuds/Obstinate%20Nocturna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starscream is the leader of Cybertron. He is respected (if grudgingly). He has all he could want (if he lies to himself). But he's about to have his (not) perfect life derailed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to our beta harutemu

Part 1 

"I can see why you came to see me," Knock Out purred. "Your finish has lost some of it's lovely luster the last few orns, but I assure you we'll have you gleaming and gorgeous again in ---"

Starscream exvented heavily sitting on the medical berth. "Knock Out, you are a bonded mech and I'm not in the mood." He knew he didn't look -- to his normal standards. His wings drooped a little. He felt -- run down like he hadn't since the engeron shortages during the war. But this was different and that _worried_ him.

Though it had worried Windblade more apparently, since he was sitting here and not hiding in his quarters until he could bribe or _find_ Hook -- traitor probably ran off to earth with Prowl. But still Starscream trusted _him_ more than others even if he wasn't truly a medic. 

His wings dropped more. Maybe he should have gone to Wheeljack.

But Windblade had been insistent after he'd lost his engeron on her pedes the start of last orn.

"What are the symptoms?" Knock Out asked, even as he jacked into Starscream's medical port.

“Fatigue, despite consuming above normal levels of energon and getting more recharge than usual,” Starscream listed off, “And there have been several orns where I’ve purged my tanks despite restricting myself to midgradel,” and he’d checked for anyone tampering with his energon. Several times. He was just grateful that -- besides the incident that morning with Windblade -- it hadn’t happened in public.

"Hmm," Knock Out hummed. His optics got the faraway look all medics seemed to get when they were rooting around in others’ systems. " _Oh_ , well that would certainly explain it. Well, Starscream I have good news and bad news," Knock Out told him, unhooking. "Which would you like first?"

“What is it?” Starscream asked. Whatever it was he just wanted a quick fix so he could back to his normal duties.

"Good news: it will stop on it's own. Bad news; it'll take a few dozen decacycles give or take. I'll have to run some deeper scans to be sure and have some more specialized equipment sent from Velocitron. Windblade might want to bring in someone from her Colony -- it's been some time since I think anyone on Cybertron proper has gone through this --" Knock Out went on half to himself towards the end.

“A few dozen _decacycles_?!” Starscream’s tone rose sharply into a screech, his glyphs filled with panic. That was -- what was _wrong_ with him, that it would take that long to fix?! Primus he was going to purge again -- “What’s wrong with me, there has to be a faster way to fix it than that --”

Knock Out's optics cycled. "Sorry, sorry, forgot to mention the important bit didn't I?" He said soothingly. Or attempted too. "Breakdown always says I get carried away -- uhmn -- anyways, as I was saying; Lord Starscream, congratulations you are with newsparks. Possibly the first Cybertronian ones in a millenia." 

Starscream’s processors stopped cold. “Newspa -- I’m sparked?” He asked, dumbstruck. Sparked. It explained why he was so tired and why his energon consumption had practically doubled as of late -- and why he’d purged his tanks so frequently.

"You are,” Knock Out confirmed. "Both seem very healthy so far from what your systems are saying. As I was saying I'll need to run some deeper scans on both your spark chamber and your gestation tank, but so far everything seems fine. I'd say they are roughly four decacycles old, construction has just started which is why you're systems have been strained," he paused, voice softening. "I, uh, take it the sire is not in the picture then?"

Four decacycles. That was -- 

Oh.

Starscream almost wished he didn’t know _exactly_ who the sire was. “No,” he said quietly, servos clenching around the edge of the medical berth, “They aren’t.”

Knock Out nodded, optics and field not holding any judgement. "I'm sorry. I can give you supplements to take with your engeron. That should help a great deal. If you interface with anyone during the first five decacycles of construction their transfluid will influence the sparklings frames. Though I would recommend spark merges with someone you trust if just for the energy boost. Twins are draining even under normal circumstances."

“I’m aware,” Starscream said. It had been -- too many vorns to count since the _thought_ of sparklings had crossed his processors, but he still remembered the basics. This wasn’t going to be easy -- this was going to be the furthest thing from easy, but… Starscream looked down at his chest, then vented deeply and looked back up at Knock Out, “I’ll take those supplements, doctor.” And he’d… figure out _something_ to do about the energy he’d need to support the two newsparks depending on him now. Maybe Wheeljack or Windblade would be willing…? If not for him then for the newsparks.

"Of course," Knock Out assured him, something like sympathy in his voice. "I'd like to see you back here in a decaorn to check on your systems and the newsparks. I should have the equipment I need to do a full deep scan by then. If you'd like I can do a frame scan now? I'd also like to visually check your spark and the newsparks before you leave."

“Whatever you need to do to ensure my sparklings are healthy, Knock Out,” Starscream agreed. 

"If you'd open your chest plates please?" Knock Out asked, stepping closer. "It'll only be a visual and surface scan. Nothing will go into your spark chamber."

Starscream nodded, and not without some trepidation, unlocked and let his chest plates slide back exposing his spark. He held his vents as Knock Out peered in and waved a scanner across the opening. "How -- " he stopped, resetting his shakily vocalizer. "How do they look, doctor?"

Knock Out smiled reassuringly after he’d examined Starscream’s spark, and the newsparks nestled in the chamber with it, “They have steady orbits and look to be the right size for their age. I’d say you have two very healthy newsparks in there.”

Tenson he hadn't realized had built in his frame released, and his wings and shoulders sagged. "Good, good," he let his chest slide close and lock, before resting his hand there. How hadn't he known? Shouldn't he have been able to sense them if construction was starting? 

Was this why the slagging data ghost of Bumblebee kept lecturing him on listening to his systems?

...it didn’t matter now. He knew now, and he’d do whatever it took to make sure his sparklings emerged healthy. “Thank you, Knock Out. I believe I have some… arrangements to make. If we’re done here for the orn?” 

"We are, though I want you to come in if anything at all change," Knock Out told him. "Here are the supplements. Mix them in with your engeron three times an orn."

Starscream nodded, taking the supplements and storing them in his subspace. “Thank you. And I would appreciate if you’d keep quiet about this until I’m ready for the public at large to know.”

“Doctor-patient confidentiality,” Knock Out swore, holding a hand up. 

"Not even Breakdown, Knock Out," Starscream told him. "I mean it."

“You have my word as a medic,” Knock Out promised, “Now, Lord Starscream, I have other patients to see, and I believe you had ‘arrangements’ to make?” The racer said, smiling teasingly, “I’ll see you back here in a decaorn.”

Starscream made a rude gesture with his wings on his way out. 

Now, who to see first Windblade or Wheeljack?

No, the question was how much would Windblade kill him if he told someone else first?

\---

"You're _what?_ " Windblade shrieked in an impressive imitation of what many mechs' swore Starscream sounded like.

“You know I _had_ thought you’d be happier that I didn’t have a virus or something life threatening, the way you were fussing earlier,” Starscream said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not dying. In fact, I'm doing the exact opposite. It's a gift from Primus to his chosen." _Or the next closest thing_ , he added privately.

Windblade's look could possibly peel paint off a lesser mech. "This is not funny." She pinched the bridge of her olfactory ridge. 

“I’m not trying to be funny, you can take a look at Knock Out’s report for yourself,” Starscream said, gesturing to the datapad in his servos, “Look there’s even a picture.”

She frowned at him while taking the datapad. "This does explain the odd comments from Metroplex," she exvented, looking over the data. 

“Comments?” Starscream asked, warily. The _last_ time a Metrotitan spoke to him, it had been… well if it was about his sparklings it was probably best he knew.

"Yes, comments. He's been excited about _something._ Gifts from Primus. He wasn't being very clear. Something about Pri --," Windblade said absently, before her helm jerked up. " _No._ "

Starscream shifted slightly on his pedes, his wings raising defensively. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, optics sliding away from the angry femme in front of him.

Her optics narrowed. "Of course you don't," she muttered, then ex-vented again, but let it drop. "How many know about the newsparks?"

“As of right now? You, me, Knock Out, and apparently Metroplex,” he said dryly.

She tapped her servos on the data pad thoughtfully. "Does the sire know -- and no, right now I do not want to have it confirmed who that mech is -- or do you plan to tell them?"

“No, they don’t, and no, I don’t plan on telling hi -- them,” Starscream said, defensive again, “He -- they made it very clear that what -- transpired between us was a mistake and I would do best not to bring it up again. Ever. So, no, on both counts,” He muttered, his arms going tighter across his chest. Something in his spark chamber fluttered, it had done that before when he'd thought of -- him -- _oh._ The newsparks. They were reacting to him. His field. "I don't plan on telling anyone else who they are either. Not unless it becomes medically necessary for the health of the twins."

Windblade's field softened. "You're going to go this alone?" She asked almost gently. 

“You say that as if I have some other choice. Besides, I’ve been through worse alone,” he said dismissively.

"What about the needs of the newsparks?" She asked, handing him back the data pad. "I saw Knock Out's given you supplements. Are you going to ask someone to contribute energy or transfluid?"

“That’s what the supplements are for,” Starscream muttered, snatching the pad back and holding it to his chest like the flimsiest shield ever, “In case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t exactly a line out the door to interface with me. And I’m not going to have someone trying to claim sire rights over _my_ sparklings because their transfluid influenced their frames.”

She held up a hand. "Alright, alright. What about spark merging?" She asked, almost gently. It was strange, she hadn't been this nice to him in cycles. "Wheeljack or Blurr perhaps?"

"Blurr would get emotionally compromised over the newsparks," Starscream said, it had been the reason he hadn't even considered him. The racer was -- nice, Starscream almost considered them friends, but Blurr would get attached and Starscream wasn’t sure either of them could handle that, especially if news of the sparklings’ sire ever came to light, “Not to mention he can’t keep a secret to save his life. I’m hoping to keep news of these two out of public knowledge until their frames are developed enough that if something were to happen to me they’d survive early emergence. Wheeljack… is a possibility.”

"Alright, if that's what you'd feel safest doing," she told him. He almost flinched back from the sympathy and _pity_ that flooded Windblade's field before she pulled it back. "Should we be planning for the sire to come back and make a claim?"

Starscream -- honestly hadn’t thought about that. “I doubt it,” he finally said, “They made it very clear they didn’t want anything to do with me after our little overcharged tryst, and I’d say these two are very much something to do with me.” Besides, Carrier’s rights trumped Sire’s in most cases, and given he was Leader of all Cybertron… he’d say they _definitely_ did in this one, “Besides, I doubt that their sire will even realize they are their sire. We only merged, not bonded. Unfortunately he has an annoyingly strong spark, apparently,” Starscream added in a mutter. He rubbed his serovs over his chest again trying to sooth the newsparks he was suddenly very aware of.

Windblade nodded without commenting on the last part. "I'd like to ask you to up your protection detail," she said. "But I know you'll refuse. When you start showing you _will_ have the extra guard. Chromia and Ironhide especially." She paused, her rotators twitching slightly, "How much do you know about newsparks and sparklings?"

“Admittedly not much,” Starscream said after a moment."I wasn't old enough to really think about them when the war caused our gestation systems to shut down."

Exventing, Windblade nodded. "I'll send you reading material. And Knock Out is right in his report, you should find someone you trust to spark merge with. Or 'your people' will notice sooner than later that something is going on with you. I don't think you want to be in near stasis before you're even showing."

“Oh yes that will be _so_ easy, there are so many people I trust baring my spark to,” Starscream rolled his optics. 

"Wheeljack, maybe?" Windblade offered. "Metroplex -- in his case it wouldn't really be a merge. You'd just stand near his spark with your chest plates open, you might not even need that." 

“Would that actually work?” Starscream asked, more than a little surprised at the offer. Somehow the idea of… not quite spark merging with the metrotitan was less intimidating than asking Wheeljack or someone else he knew and risking rejection.

She paused, tilting her helm slightly. "It should. Just linking to speak with him gives me excess energy. I'll ask him and check with Knock Out. "

Starscream nodded. "If -- as long as it's safe for the newsparks."

Her servos paused on the datapad she'd pulled out. "Starscream, I would not endanger the first new sparks Cybertron proper has seen in millions of years."

He curled his arms around the datapad with Knock Out's report a little tighter, as if it could protect his spark and the two new lives it fed. "Yes, but they are _my_ new sparks. I'm aware of what you think of me, what others think of me."

Windblade very cautiously touched his wrist. "You are a paranoid, often petty, jerk a lot of the times and I am constantly frustrated that you refuse to be what you could be for reasons you won't tell me. I don't like you most of the time, but --"

"I don't think I need to hear more," he muttered pulling away from her touch. He didn't need her. He didn't need anyone. Not the sire of his newsparks, not friends, not a trine, nothing. 

"But," she went on a bit more forcefully. "I, believe it or not, do care what happens to you."

"Why?"

She shrugged heading towards the door. "Someone has to. Since you won't. I'll speak with Metroplex. Talk to Blurr or Wheeljack."

Starscream watched her go before flinging himself rather petulantly across his berth, flinging the datapad aside.

"Slag, what am I going to do?" He whined into the soft mesh.

"You can start by taking your engeron with the first dose of supplements," Bumblebee said. 

Starscream turned his helm slightly to see the data-ghost or processor glitch picking up the datapad. "Put that down and leave me alone. Not in the mood."

"Nope, you've got two other lives to think about, Starscream."

“I am _aware_.”

Bumblebee tapped his cane against the floor. "Are you _sure_ you're aware?"

“And what is _that_ supposed to mean?” Starscream demanded, “Of course I’m aware, how could I not be, I’m _sparked_.”

"Then _get up_ , fuel and take your supplements, and call Wheeljack and Blurr," Bumblebee said, shoving Starscream's side with the cane. "I'd tell you to call the _sire_ if I wasn't a bit slagged off at him myself. Trust me if I had a choice I'd be haunting his aft right now."

“Oh, wonderful, now even my own hallucinations don’t want to be around me,” Starscream muttered, shoving himself up. He hated admitting that Bumblebee was right, but his HUD was flashing low fuel warnings at him. Again. Ugh, this was going to be a trial.

Bumblebee laughed. "Don't worry, you're stuck with me for a while yet." Before seemingly disappearing.

“Joy,” Starscream muttered, grabbing an energon cube and dropping one of the supplements into it and watching it dissolve. He almost gagged when he took a sip -- it tasted awful and grainy and he was going to punch Knock Out _right_ in the olfactory sensor for giving him this. Starscream had tasted _poison_ better than this. Glancing down at his chest again, he sighed, turned off his taste sensors, and downed the rest of the energon.

A notification popped up on his HUD reading 100% of a Pyrolusite and another notification about protoform construction. 

He huffed. "Hope you two are happier now," he said looking down at his chest. There was that odd fluttering again. "Going to ruin my figure too aren't you and you won't even care. Ungrateful wretches," he said affectionately. 

Something near his spark gave off a tiny, happy pulse.

"Love you brats too," he told him, rubbing over his spark. Now who was he going to trust to call? Wheeljack or Blurr? 

Wheeljack was more likely to answer his comm. -- unless he was in the lab, but even then he still usually responded to Starscream. 

He curled back up on his berth under the weight of exhaustion and grief he didn't want to exam. Opening the channel with Wheeljack’s comm line, he hoped the demolitionist scientist would answer before he fell into recharge.

Slag, he wasn't going to be able to do the little lab work he'd been able to sneak off to do anymore was he? Couldn't risk the newsparks. Wheeljack would have a fit if he used his lab and got hurt while carrying newsparks --

Right?

It was starting to sink in just how much he was going to have to change in his ornly routine to accommodate his two new passengers.

::Starscream is this important? I'm a little busy.::

::It --:: Starscream hesitated, ::It can wait if you’re that busy. Although I don’t know how busy you could truly be if you’re taking the time to respond to your comms still.::

There was a significant pause on Wheeljack’s end. ::Is something on fire?::

::No, nothing is on fire, and why is that always the first question anyone asks me when I contact them,:: Starscream huffed, ::If anything _you_ are a much more likely candidate to have spontaneous fires popping up in your presence.::

::Nothing has blown up around me that wasn't on purpose in decacycles,:: Wheeljack protested, a hint of amusement in his glyphs. ::So, what do you need Starscream? You don't tend to comm just to talk.::

_To go back in time and stop myself from getting overcharged enough to bare my spark like an idiot_ , Starscream privately requested. ::It’s… actually of a rather personal matter that I’d rather discuss face to face. If that’s alright.::

::With me?:: Wheeljack asked as if he needed to be sure. ::Does Windblade know about whatever this is?::

::I hardly see how that matters and yes with you, obviously. Why else would I be contacting you asking to talk?:: Starscream winced, knowing his glyphs had gotten messy with annoyance and he hoped Wheeljack didn’t read deeply into them enough to pick up on the nervousness beneath it.

A dozen or so kliks of silence passed between the comms. ::I'll be there as soon as I have this experiment contained. Do I need to get you anything?:: 

That… was admittedly not the answer Starscream had been expecting. ::...no, I’m fine, you don’t need to bring anything.::

::Somehow I don't think fine is what you are, Screamer,:: Wheeljack's glyphs showed concern. ::You want some engeron jellies since I'll pass by there anyways?::

Despite the fact that he’d just refueled, Starscream swore his tanks pinged at him the moment Wheeljack mentioned the treats and the newsparks fluttered in a way that made his processor swim. ::Yes,:: he finally reluctantly sent. There were worse things he could crave than sweets, he supposed.

::See you when I get there.::

\---

Wheeljack arrived too soon and not soon enough for Starscream’s liking; he’d hardly had any time to practice what he wanted to say to the scientist!

"Did you forget we aren't on rationing anymore?" Wheeljack asked the moment he laid optics on Starscream.

Starscream bristled slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He demanded, reaching for the bag in Wheeljack’s hand.

"You look like you haven't been getting enough engeron is all," Wheeljack shrugged. “So, what’d you want to talk about?”

Stalling by putting several engeron treats in his mouth, Starscream shifted trying to think of how to -- broach this delicate matter. "I'm sparked."

Wheeljack’s field went spikey with shock so quickly it made Starscream wince. “You -- what -- _who_?”

"It doesn't matter _who_ ," Starscream snapped. "Knock Out says I'm carrying twins. Windblade suggested I --- " He clenched his jaw. "I -- I need help."

“What kind of help?” Wheeljack asked, still sounding a little dazed.

Starscream hunched his shoulders. "I need to merge with someone regularly to give them them and my systems enough energy."

“That’s ideal for healthy sparklings, yes, but why call m -- oh.” Wheeljack said, surprised realization coloring his glyphs. "Can the sire not --- ?"

“The sire isn’t in the picture,” Starscream muttered."He's not even on the smelting planet." He winced, that might have been admitting too much. 

“Oh,” Wheeljack said, “Well, I’m… admittedly a little flattered that you’d ask me, Starscream.”

Starscream held out one of the treats. "Well, you _are_ my best friend."

Wheeljack took it after a moment, “Sharing energon treats? You really are serious about this,” he joked.

His optics welled up with fluid, oh Primus dammit he didn't need to be emotional about this. "I want to do the best for them, Wheeljack. It's not their fault I'm a glitch and their sire -- their sire wouldn't even care about them."

“I’m sorry, Starscream.”

"So am I," Starscream said softly. "If you don't -- I won't hold it against you. Windblade has some idea about asking Metroplex." 

“Metroplex? Would that -- work?”

“Windblade seems to think so.”

Wheeljack frowned. "Or it might fry you -- too many variables, Star. It'll be safer if I do it. I know Seekers used to have triads for this sort of thing is there anyone else you'd trust to --"

"Trines," Starscream corrected absently, “I thought about asking Blurr, but I don’t think he could keep it under wraps. Besides, I’m not looking to Trine, just to make sure the newsparks get the energy they need.”

"Blurr would want to give you more than just spark energy for the bitlets."

“That is, admittedly, another reason I didn’t consider him first,” Starscream admitted. "These two will be a handful without speedster coding."

“Yeah, no kidding,” Wheeljack laughed, “Especially given their carrier.”

“Excuse you,” Starscream huffed.

Wheeljack laughed again. "If I buy you more engeron treats will you forgive me?"

“Possibly,” Starscream said imperiously, popping another treat into his intake.

There was quiet for a moment. "Did you want to merge tonight?" Wheeljack asked, expression unreadable with that damn facemask up. 

Starscream -- hadn’t actually thought about that. He’d been too busy panicking over what Wheeljack would say about the suggestion of them merging for the sparklings to consider _actually merging_. "I -- "

Wheeljack stroked his face. "Star, we don't need tonight."

Starscream set his shoulder struts. "No, they need the energy."

“...if you’re sure, Scream.”

"Jackie don't call me that," he muttered without any real bite.

Wheeljack's smile was kinder than Starscream felt he probably deserved at the moment.


	2. A Call

Chapter 2 is Chapter 4 of Domestic Bliss and Other Tales!

You can find it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/6347977/chapters/16350287


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